John c



4@eine guette lattat @frn Letters Patent No. 78,306, dated .May-26, 18,625.

IMIROVED ANIMAL-TRAP.

llgt t'lptnlt referat in' it 'tlgtsttttets nteutmxt mating pnt tt the sante.

TVO ALLv WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known thatL'JOII'N C. MOCLAMROCH, of Edina, in the county of Knox, and State ot' Missouri, have invented a new and improved Animal-Trap; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others slrillediin the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a top or plan view of my improved trap, part being broken away to show the construction. Figure 2 is a detail sectional View of the same, takenthrough the line a: x, tig. l. i Similar letters ofrefercnee indicate corresponding parts. My invention has for its object to furnish an improved self-setting animal-trap which shall be simple in construction, durable, and reliable, which will require little attention,'and with which any desiredtn'nmber of animals may be caughtwithout the trap`s being visited; and consists in the construction and combination of the various parts, as hereinafter more fully described.

A is the box of'the trap, which is made of any desired size, according to the size of the animal trapped for. The dimensions herein given may, therefore, be taken as proportional rather thannctual dimensions. The box A is seven inches long., ve land a half inches wide, and four and a quarter inches high, and has a rectangular opening, six inches long and two inches wide, formed in its top or upper side.` The opening in the top of the box A is closed by two trap-doors, B and C, ot' equal size. The door B is hinged or pivoted, at its rear end, to the top Iof the box A, and has an upwardly-projecting plate or Harige, b', formed upon or attached vto its pivoted end. The rear or pivoted 'end of the, door B should be Weighted, or made sufficiently heavy to hold the said door closed orv in a horizontal position, except ,when an animal steps or jumps upon it. The 'other door, C, is pivoted at'one side, as shown in iig. 2, undisclosed or brought vback to a horizontal position, after being opened or depressed,'by an adjustable weight, D, suspended from its pi'voted side.

The doors B and C are protected from being disturbed by animals from within the box A by a downwardly projecting toothed plate, E, surrounding the opening in which said doors are pivoted. i

To the top of the box A, at the sides ofthe opening for the trap-doors B and G, are attachedcvcr'tical side. boards, F, the upperl or top edges -of which are connected by a top board, G. The side-boards F compel the animal to pass upon thedoors B and C from the ends of the opening, and in the most favorable position for being precipitated into the. box beneath.

'l H is the bait-hook, which is attached tothe lower-end ot' the inner arm of the U-shaped lever I, the horizontal part of which is pivotcd'to the top board G, or to the upper edge of one of the side-boards F, 'in such a position that the bait may be suspended over, ornearly over, the division-line between the two doors B and C.

To the lower end of the other or outer arm ot' the lever I is ivoted the end of the connectin -rod'J, the other end of whicllis pivoted to the end of one arm of the bent or bell-crank lever K.

The bent lever K is pvoted, at its angle, to a short post or support attached to the top of the box A, with its outerA end projecting through and working in a vv-shaped slot-in the support or guideplate L, attached to the top ci' the 'box A. The other armof the bel1-cranl lever passes through a loop in the spring-catch M, s0 v as to withdraw the said spring-catch from the door C upon thc backward movement o t` the bait-hook. To proi duce the same etiect upon the forward movement ot' the bait-hoek, another bell-crank lever, N, may be pivoted to asupport upon the other `side of thc'springcatchfwith'one of its arms passing through the loop of the spring* catch M, and with a loop or eye formed upon the end oi' its other army through which the free end of the bell ,crank lever K passes, as shown in red in g. 1.

The upper or elastic part of the spring-catch Mcxtends up along the outer side of one of the sideboards F, and its upper end is pivoted to the end of the arm 0,theother end of whichis pivoted to the side of said side-board, and which is adjustably held inl place by a button, P, so that the spring-catch M may be easily adjustedto the desired positicn.-

Atlthe top of the box A, an outwardly-projecting loop is formed, for the reception of the arms ofthe belhl crank 'lever or levers K The spring-catch M then passes through the side-board F, and'passes down along the front edge of the door C, and has a shoulder or catch formed upon it, which'receives 'the' edge of said door, and supports it and the weight of' the animal until the said spring-catch is withdrawn by the animals moving Athe bait-hook lever. Then the said door falls, precipitating the animal into the box A.

The box A, when closed, is entirely darla-'except the small amount of light that enters through the slotted gate R of the passage-way or tube Q y The animal, seeking to escape, enters the passage-way Q, lifts thc gate R, and passes' outinto the box S, which is removably attached to the outer end of said tubeQ. 4 v

The box S may be of any desired size, and is divided into numerous compartments by partitions sl, each compartment vbeing of snicient size to receive one of the animals. I To destroy or remove the animals, the box S is detached vfrom the outer end of' the tube Q, the ingressope'ning being, at the same time, closed by the slide s2. The animals may then be destroyed within the box S,

or removed through the openings in the front of said box, said openings being closed by sliding gates 83.

The top of the box S should be covered Vwith s la'ts or grating, as shown in iig. 1.

This trap may be constructed of Wood, sheet metal, or-other material, as may bc convenient or desired.

I claim as new, and desire to secure byLe'tters Patent-i 1. The described arrangement ofthe bait-hook H, U-shaped lever I, connecting-rofl J, bell-crank levers K N, and adjustable springfcatch M, with relation to the lpivoted trap-1100110, all constructed and combined to operate in the manner and for the purpose substantially as set forth.

2. The detachable receptacle S, vprovided with partit/ions s1 and slides s2 s, and lhaving a grated top, when said receptacle is adapted tobo connected with the box A by means .of the adjustable passage Q, in which gate R is hinged, all constructed and arranged as and for the purpose set forth.

` JOHN C. McCLAMROCH. Witnesses: i

JOHN GRANT, K JOSEPH A. BEACH. 

